Creating a safe environment for electrical engineers is crucial, as electrical work can be dangerous. Without proper equipment or safety measures, technicians could suffer electrical shocks, which could cause burns, nerve damage, loss of consciousness, or cardiac arrest. Hazards like fires and explosions can also cause property damage, which isn’t ideal when you’re working on projects for customers. A safe work environment can prevent injuries, fatal accidents, and unnecessary damage. Follow our safety guidelines to create a safe work environment for your technicians.
Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is one of the best ways to protect your employees' health and safety. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), PPE is any equipment, including clothing, worn, or held by workers to protect them against any risks that may affect their health or safety. PPE for electrical engineers should include head, eye, face and foot protection, and your PPE checklist should include safety helmets, gloves, safety glasses, protective footwear, high visibility vests, and earplugs. While your technicians should always use PPE, it's also crucial that they use their protective wear correctly. Provide clear instructions and training to ensure that your workers know when to wear the equipment and how to it.
Complete health and safety risk assessments at every site
Ensure that every technician has the right PPE with them for the job, that the site has been safely set up, and that all other compulsory safety rules have been followed with health and safety questionnaires. You can make these questionnaires mandatory so that every team member must complete the form every day when they arrive at a job site. To save time, you can use a tool like Electrical Engineering Software to create a digital questionnaire that your technicians can complete on their mobile devices. The form will be stored on a cloud-based system, where you can access it at any time. Digital questionnaires are more reliable than paper forms as your technicians can't misplace them, and your admin team can view them online as soon as they've been completed.
Offer a first aid training course
Prepare your team for any accident that could take place at a job site with first aid training. A first aid course will give your team the skills to handle an emergency with confidence and potentially save a colleague's life. Conduct an assessment to determine the hazards and risks of your job sites to identify your first aid needs so you can find the right course for your team. Ideally, you should choose a course designed for the electrical industry, so your team is prepared for incidents that commonly occur in your field. Your team should also have access to a fully equipped first aid kit with items like bandages, plasters, safety pins, disposable gloves, and antiseptic. Appoint a team member to take responsibility for the first aid kit and contact emergency services if there's an accident. Make sure your technicians know who this person is and how to get in touch with them.
Keep your team up to date with refresher training
Your technicians may not remember all the safety information they received when they first joined the company. A refresher course is a great way to refresh their memory and go over your basic safety rules again. You can also share information regarding new technology and regulations to keep your team up to date. Refresher training gives you the opportunity to review your safety guidelines and make sure they're still relevant. If you've introduced new machinery or PPE, you can update the training material to ensure that all hazards are covered, and everyone knows how to use new protective equipment correctly. Safety compliance reduces accidents and injuries, and your technicians can work confidently knowing they are protected from danger.
